This war, among employers, employees, applicants, consumers, and suppliers. How does it break out this time?

[76Too]

Today ~$97k

The HIGHEST state average in the US is $97k (Maryland and MOST of that is surrounding the DC area I’d bet). The lowest is $46k (Mississippi).

The big problem is the devaluation of the dollar. The bottom is going to fall out at some point if these efftards in DC keep spending like drunken sailors (with no disrespect toward drunken sailors intended.)

The company I work for thinks they can hold my employment at 1.5% raises every year. They’re going to find out soon that was not the case.

 

[Ark]

How many hourly employees can say their current employer gave them a raise this year that at minimum matched inflation? Buying power can’t grow when the majority of your working class gets beat down as much as they have in the last 3 years by inflation.

My employer acted like 5% was a massive favor.

Like yeah add a zero to that and maybe I'll break even on how much more it costs me to keep showing up here.

 

[rhamersley]

Unfortunately, I think that maybe the only way to keep up is to shop around for other jobs. I was contacted last year by another company and I nearly "took my talents to South Beach (well Fishers, but whatever)". My present company beat that offer and threw in home work on Tuesday/Friday and a couple other fringes. I'd be making several thousand less right now if I hadn't almost accepted another offer. YMMV, of course, if your employer really wants to see the backside of you...

 

[two70]

Unfortunately, I think that maybe the only way to keep up is to shop around for other jobs. I was contacted last year by another company and I nearly "took my talents to South Beach (well Fishers, but whatever)". My present company beat that offer and threw in home work on Tuesday/Friday and a couple other fringes. I'd be making several thousand less right now if I hadn't almost accepted another offer. YMMV, of course, if your employer really wants to see the backside of you...

Why is this unfortunate? It is hard to know what you're actually worth if you don't at least test the market every now and then. It is certainly better than just hanging around and complaining at an employer that doesn't value your work enough. Marketing one's self should be the standard operating procedure. If it were for more people we wouldn't be stuck with quite as many Unions or as much Government involvement in the workplace.

 

[Ark]

Unfortunately, I think that maybe the only way to keep up is to shop around for other jobs. I was contacted last year by another company and I nearly "took my talents to South Beach (well Fishers, but whatever)". My present company beat that offer and threw in home work on Tuesday/Friday and a couple other fringes. I'd be making several thousand less right now if I hadn't almost accepted another offer. YMMV, of course, if your employer really wants to see the backside of you...

Those counteroffer benefits only last until the next round of hard times. Then the expensive ones are the first out the door.

 

[planedriver]

Happy to say all our offspring can drive a manual transmission and write cursive....LOL!

Only from their fetching up. The educational system couldn’t have had anything to do with it.

As a sidebar. I think that the schools have stopped teaching cursive, reading, and writing, so that it becomes impossible for the next generation to read the constitution.

 

[Shadow01]

What does hourly have to do with that? Not many employees received raises that kept pace with inflation. 3% has been the average I've seen.

salary employees tend to move jobs more as their skills are generally not employer specific. Not too many hourly employees that make plastic soda bottles will move over to the manufacturing line at allison transmission. Salaried can leverage better for higher raises.

 

[KLB]

Those counteroffer benefits only last until the next round of hard times. Then the expensive ones are the first out the door.

No, the PITAs are the first out the door. The ones that play FMLA games and such.

For the layoffs I've been through, after the PITAs it went more to older employees. They weren't always the higher paid. In the end, the best thing you can do to survive hard times is to be of value to the company, especially more than the guy next to you.

 

[Ark]

No, the PITAs are the first out the door. The ones that play FMLA games and such.

For the layoffs I've been through, after the PITAs it went more to older employees. They weren't always the higher paid. In the end, the best thing you can do to survive hard times is to be of value to the company, especially more than the guy next to you.

Hmm, true statement. The active PITA people are at the very front of the line, not the ones who are acceptable employees but just cost too much. The FMLA abuser, the chronic shirker, the lawsuit waiting to happen, the floor pee bandit, etc.

 

[Usmccookie]

Hmm, true statement. The active PITA people are at the very front of the line, not the ones who are acceptable employees but just cost too much. The FMLA abuser, the chronic shirker, the lawsuit waiting to happen, the floor pee bandit, etc.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease, until it’s time to cut back. Then it gets greased….